Frequently Asked Questions

I have a 2,100 square foot home, how much solar would I need to heat my home?

Several questions arise in order to answer this, assuming that the site you have is perfect for solar. What type of heat do you use? Are the heaters energy star compliant? What temperature do you wish to maintain in your home? Have you had a heat load calculation done? what are your insulation factors? Have you minimized your heat losses? What is your budget to achieve this goal? These are all questions that need to be addressed prior to sizing the system.

I live in a windy area, do solar panels come off in high winds?

A good solar designer will take into account weather and wind factors. The racking system will be designed to withstand the highest recorded winds for your area. In a professional install you do not usually find solar panels coming off, it is best to hire a certified installer to ensure that all the loads resulting from wind are accurately assessed.

How do I know how many panels I need for my home?

As a designer it is our job to help you determine the size of the system that best fits your needs and your budget.

I live in western Washington State and rarely see the sun. What would be the point of putting solar panels on my house?

Washington State is a great place for solar, it is better than Germany. Germany is a global market leader in the fields of renewable energies. The Germans have 15 % of the energy for their entire country provided by renewable energies, in fact three of the largest solar farms are there. Washington has more sun than Germany.

I have no trees and I think my house would be perfect for solar, how do I know?

We are happy to come out and do a free site evaluation to determine if you have a good solar energy site.

So do I pay for everything and then sit around waiting for the government to pay me back?

Yes and no, the system costs come out of your pocket. The federal incentive is tax based, and the state incentive is production based, so the federal incentive is filed as a part of your taxes, and the state incentive is paid by the utility company yearly, based on how much power you produced. However while you are "sitting around waiting", the power being produced is helping to offset your power bill by slowing your meter and/or spinning your meter backwards.

What about wind power? Are there other alternatives besides solar?

There are some alternatives to solar: wind, micro-hydro, geothermal and others. Most of these alternatives require a specific site, so a micro-hydro generator would require a year-round flowing source of water with a minimum head pressure. Using the wind to create electricity is certainly an alternative; bladed wind turbines require a steady, clear, non-turbulent wind, vertical axis turbines however do not require these things, they just need wind. The vertical turbines can be mounted lower to the ground and although not as efficient as the bladed turbine, they are capable of producing energy when the wind blows. We can assess your site for which type would best be suited to maximize your wind.

Did you know?
An average PV solar installation will take care of your energy needs even on a rainy day? And on better days you will be able to sell your energy back.